Junior safety Alden Darby (left) and coach Todd Graham look off to the student section after the Sun Devils’ 45-14 win over Illinois on Saturday. (Photo by Sam Rosenbaum)From raucous home crowds to obscene student section chants, college football is all about the game day atmosphere.
While the Sun Devils have had the privilege of playing their first two games in the familiar confines of Sun Devil Stadium, ASU (2-0) will face its toughest test of the young season when it travels to Missouri on Saturday.
Memorial Stadium, home of the Tigers (1-1, 0-1 SEC), is a hostile environment and ASU coach Todd Graham implored his players to focus on the task at hand.
“When you go on the road, you have to go in there and you have to have a different level of focus and concentration,” Graham said. “It doesn’t really matter to me what we have done in the past one way or another. You want to be a championship caliber team, you have to go on the road and you have to win. That is just the way it is.”
In an attempt to make the Sun Devils feel as comfortable as possible while on the road, the team will do its best to mimic their Tempe locker room while in Columbia, Mo. Not only will ASU bring locker room signs with them on the road, but it will also bring the air fresheners as well to make the players feel as if they are in their home locker room.
“Everything is exactly at the same time," Graham said. "We try to keep things like that. As much as you can keep (the players) in the routine, the better it is.”
Graham knows emotions are a big part of football and while he does not believe players get as hyped for road games as they do for home contests, he wants to make sure his players do not get distracted by the Missouri students or any other extracurricular activities.
Saturday’s contest against Missouri has yet to be played, but Graham believes tough road contests are all about preparation.
“I think road games are won in April, June and July with the work that we’ve put in there,” Graham said. “I don’t think it has a lot to do with what plays we are calling. I think it has everything to do with the training the guys go through.”
Graham contemplates moving Lewis to defense
The “team first” mantra installed by Graham continues to permeate the ASU football facilities, as redshirt sophomore running back Deantre Lewis approached Graham and said he would be willing to help out on defense.
“I am probably more concerned with the depth in the secondary than I am with anything else,” Graham said.
Graham still envisions Lewis playing running back and admitted offensive coordinator Mike Norvell is not exactly thrilled with the idea, but the secondary is thin and needs the help.
After watching Lewis on defense the coaching staff may decide it won’t work out, but in the meantime Graham believes it is worth looking at.
“Where we will probably look at him is a ‘spur, bandit’ type deal, specifically in our dime package — our third downs,” Graham said. “I think we could put him in at third down and tell him to rush the quarterback and he’d be able to do that and do it pretty well. So we will see.”
Injury update
Freshman linebacker Carlos Mendoza, who left Saturday’s game against Illinois with an apparent shoulder injury, is “very doubtful” for the Missouri contest, Graham. Mendoza has yet to undergo an MRI, but Graham does not envision him playing.
Redshirt senior linebacker Brandon Magee, who missed ASU’s victory over Illinois because of a concussion, has been cleared for practice.
Junior defensive lineman Mike Pennell is also back and ready to go. Pennell did not play last week for failing to adhere to team standards.
Reach the reporter at william.boor@asu.edu
